Electronic device, information terminal system, and method of starting sound recognition function

• US 9,728,187 B2
• Filed: 01/21/2016
• Issued: 08/08/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Yamashita, Hirokazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Neway, Samuel G
• Application Number:
  US15/003,213
• Publication Number:
  US 20160240196A1
• Time in Patent Office: 565 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/30 Distributed recognition, e.g. in client-server systems, for mobile phones or network applications
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/32 Multiple recognisers used in sequence or in parallel; Score combination systems therefor, e.g. voting systems
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/088 Word spotting
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/223 Execution procedure of a spoken command

Abstract

An on-vehicle device can simultaneously connect smart phones provided with a sound recognition function through short-distance wireless communications. The on-vehicle device determines whether a specific keyword for starting the sound recognition function of the smart phones is included in an utterance sound of a user. When the keyword is included, the on-vehicle device selects the smart phone identified with the keyword, and transmits a sound signal of the utterance sound to the selected smart phone.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a connection unit configured to be able to simultaneously connect a plurality of information terminals that are each provided with a sound recognition function;

a sound input unit configured to receive an utterance sound and to output a sound signal corresponding to the utterance sound;

a sound recognition unit configured to perform sound recognition of the sound signal output from the sound input unit;

a determination unit configured to determine whether specific identification information is included in the sound signal, based on a sound recognition result of the sound recognition unit;

a selection unit configured to select an information terminal to which the sound signal is to be transmitted, based on the specific identification information, when it has been determined that the specific identification information is included, by the determination unit; and

a transmission control unit configured to transmit the sound signal through the connection unit, based on a selection result of the selection unit;

wherein the specific identification information is information that starts the sound recognition function of the information terminal to which the sound signal is to be transmitted.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the specific identification information is a name for identifying the information terminal to which the sound signal is to be transmitted.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a storage unit configured to store the specific identification information in association with each information terminal connected to the connection unit,

wherein the determination unit determines existence/non-existence of the specific identification information by reference to the storage unit.

4. The electronic device according to claim 3, wherein the specific identification information is information that starts the sound recognition function of the information terminal to which the sound signal is to be transmitted.

5. The electronic device according to claim 4, wherein the specific identification information is a name for identifying the information terminal to which the sound signal is to be transmitted.

6. The electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a warning unit configured to give warning that the specific identification information is not included when it has been determined that the specific identification information is not included, by the determination unit.

7. The electronic device according to claim 6, further comprising:

an acquisition unit configured to acquire the specific identification information from an information terminal connected to the connection unit.

8. The electronic device according to claim 6,

wherein the warning unit gives warning that the specific identification information is the same when specific identification information of each information terminal connected by connection unit is the same.

9. The electronic device according to claim 6, wherein the warning unit gives warning that the specific identification information is not able to be obtained when the specific identification information of each information terminal connected by the connection unit is not able to be acquired.

10. An information terminal system comprising:

an electronic device including;

a connection unit configured to be able to simultaneously connect a plurality of information terminals that are each provided with a sound recognition function,

a sound input unit configured to receive an utterance sound and to output a sound signal corresponding to the utterance sound,

a sound recognition unit configured to perform sound recognition of the sound signal output from the sound input unit,

a determination unit configured to determine whether specific identification information is included in the sound signal, based on a sound recognition result of the sound recognition unit,

a selection unit configured to select an information terminal to which the sound signal is to be transmitted, based on the specific identification information, when it has been determined that the specific identification information is included, by the determination unit, and

a transmission control unit configured to transmit the sound signal through the connection unit, based on a selection result of the selection unit; and

at least first and second information terminals,

wherein the first information terminal includes;

a first sound recognition function configured to be started in response to first specific identification information,

a first execution unit configured to execute a function corresponding to a recognition result of the first sound recognition function, and

a first transmission unit configured to transmit an execution result of the first execution unit to the electronic device, and

wherein the second information terminal includes;

a second sound recognition function configured to be started in response to second specific identification information,

a second execution unit configured to execute a function corresponding to a recognition result of the second sound recognition function, and

a second transmission unit configured to transmit an execution result of the second execution unit to the electronic device, and

wherein the electronic device includes an output unit configured to output the execution result transmitted from the first transmission unit or the second transmission unit.

11. The information terminal system according to claim 10,

wherein the first information terminal includes the first transmission unit configured to transmit the first specific identification information when the first information terminal is connected to the electronic device through the connection unit, and the second information terminal includes the second transmission unit configured to transmit the second specific identification information when the second transmission unit is connected to the electronic device through the connection unit.

12. The information terminal system according to claim 11,

wherein the first information terminal includes a first setting unit configured to set the first specific identification information, and the second information terminal includes a second setting unit configured to set the second specific identification information.

13. A method of starting a sound recognition function in an electronic device including a connection unit configured to be able to simultaneously connect a plurality of information terminals that are each provided with the sound recognition function, and a sound input unit configured to receive an utterance sound, and provide a sound signal corresponding to the utterance sound, the method comprising the steps of:

recognizing a sound signal provided from the sound input unit;

determining whether specific identification information is included in the sound signal recognized in the sound recognition step;

selecting an information terminal to which the sound signal is to be transmitted, based on the specific identification information when it has been determined that the specific identification information is included; and

transmitting the sound signal to the selected information terminal,

wherein the specific identification information is information that starts the sound recognition function of the information terminal to which the sound signal is to be transmitted.

14. The method of starting a sound recognition function according to claim 13, the method further comprising the step of:

storing the specific identification information in association with each information terminal connected to the connection unit,

wherein the determining step determines existence/non-existence of the specific identification information by reference to the specific identification information stored in the storing step.

15. The method of starting a sound recognition function according to claim 14, the method further comprising the step of:

acquiring the specific identification information from an information terminal connected to the connection unit.